I can't say enough amazing things about Innovative PT and their new partnership with the incredibly skilled and talented Katie St. Louis for a range of fitness classes for all strength and mobility levels!
I've been battling a range of autoimmune disorders for the past 5 years and seen my share of physical therapists along the way to treat different muscle weaknesses, pain, and balance issues that come along with the illnesses. Between the high quality physical therapy I've been receiving the past many months (Monique is awesome! But everyone there seems to be equally amazing!) and the new fusion strengthening classes based in yoga, pilates, and barre (the higher intensity classes are a no-go for me, but they offer those too!) I am feeling stronger every day and seeing less and less of my debilitating weakness and balance symptom days. And when they do creep up, I have a whole list of exercises, stretches, and trigger point therapies I can try at home now.
THE SESSIONS: Each session starts with manual manipulation of the injured area, trigger point release if needed, and a discussion about your progression. Then you do a range of strengthing exercises under the supervision of aides with the option to ask your therapist if you need any clarification or help as well. At the end of sessions, you receive ice or heat, TENS (mild electric stimulation), or traction if you need or want it. My sessions last about an hour (including the 20 mins of ice/heat at the end), but it's dependant on how long you take with your exercises.
THE CLASSES: The classes Katie offers are perfect for full body strengthing which is crucial for those with dysautonomia like me. They're intense enough to leave me feeling accomplished and energized, but not so intense that they cause my autoimmune issues to flare or leave me feeling like I've been hit by a truck for the following days. I'm even able to schedule my PT session directly before or after the classes without getting too worn out to do both. She's able to easily suggest modifications for individual needs that help you stay in the flow without stressing any injuries or causing a disruption in the class. My hands-down favorite class is Tuesday morning's/Thursday evening's Yoga/Pilates/Barre fusion class which is both relaxing and invigorating (and way less intimidating than it may sound!), but she tends to blend a few yoga and pilates movements into every class which is great.
THE OFFICE: One thing I was pleasantly surprised with at this office my first time in was the range of ages of patients receiving PT. My first ever PT session was at age 25 and, up until coming to IPT, I was always the youngest in the office by at least 40 years which always reinforced in my mind how poorly I was doing for my age. At IPT there are tons of different levels and types of treatment going on from college athletes working on injuries, to elderly keeping up with their mobility or working on post-surgery strengthening, to even children once in a while. It adds a great energy to the treatment space. The entire office was just redone and is fresh, bright, clean, and spacious with every piece of equipment one could need for treatment. Parking is also super easy with a huge parking lot and parking structure in a quiet office building.
I can't recommend enough that you ask your doctor to refer you here for PT! I have Tricare prime and it's 100% covered, but even while on standard, the cost was negligible. Also, if you suffer from autoimmune issues, mobility issues, or a prior injury that holds you back from a typical fitness routine or just want to mix it up with some fusion workouts, I highly recommend checking out the classes here! First class is free to check out, just call the front desk And if you sign up for a monthly membership, you'll get a cute fitness diary notebook and water bottle. read more